0
Anonymous Posted 9 years ago
Grammar

Might

"So the suggestion that the UK's most senior diplomat in Brussels has privately told the government that a final trade deal with the rest of the EU might not be done for 10 years, and might ultimately fail, may give rise to more nerves." (BBC News website.)

Is modal "might" a back-shifted form of "may" in the above?
  

Top answer

Anonymous Is modal "might" a back-shifted form of "may" in the above? Since the clause refers to the future from now, and since 'might' as often as not simply means 'may', there is no way of knowing the answer to your question.

— Mister Micawber

  • Anonymous Is modal "might" a back-shifted form of "may" in the above?
  • Since the clause refers to the future from now, and since 'might' as often as not simply means 'may', there is no way of knowing the answer to your question.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

2 Answers
0
AnonymousIs modal "might" a back-shifted form of "may" in the above?
Since the clause refers to the future from now, and since 'might' as often as not simply means 'may', there is no way of knowing the answer to your question.
0
0
Thank you, MM, for the reply.
0

Related Questions